Pattern drum control mechanism for knitting machines and the like



March 26, 1935. H. McADAMS 1,995,995.

PATTERN DRUM CONTROL MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Original Filed Aug. 22, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1.

. v, r J 0 1., ,uwun w 0 77 'w 7 l-Z 5 /14 Q a 4 a 0 mi I 45 //a 71/ i if w 36 ,7. O //z F IQ ' INVENTOR.

Han- M Adarns ATTORNEYS.

March 26, 1935. H, MCADAMS 1,995,995

PATTERN DRUM CONTROL MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Original Filed Aug. 22, 1931 3 SheetsSheet 2 FIG. 2.

INVENTOR.

1 Harr' M Adams BY Y March" 26, 1935. H, Mc ADAMS 9 1,995,995 PATTERN DRUM CONTROLMECH ANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Original Filed Aug. 22, 1951' 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 F IG.

INVENTOR.

HE M Adams ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 26, 1935 UNITED STATES PATTERN DRUM CONTROL MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Harry McAdams, Reading, Pa., assignor to The Nolde and Horst Company, Reading, Pa., a

corporation Original application August 22, 1931, Serial No. 558,798. Divided and this application April 19, 1933, Serial No. 666,914

13 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in knitting machines.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of an improved compact mecahnism particularly well adapted to selectively and intermittently actuate cams and other devices upon knitting machines, etc. at various predetermined intervals in a cooperative relationship; the, present invention being a division of my co-pending application, Serial No.

1931. v Other objects and advantages of this invention willbe apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation 'of a knitting machine of the type disclosed in my aforesaid co-pending application, and showing more particularly a pattern control drum and the cooperating mechanism for its actuation.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the knitting machine of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary rear view, showing more particularly the means for operating a cam controlling pattern drum off the conventional 104 wheel, and additionally showing association of cam operating levers, etc.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of the mechanism by means of which a cam controlling pattern drum is operated with a step by step 558,798, filed August 22,

movement off the conventional 104 wheel of a knitting machine, the parts being shown in an operative relation with said wheel.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view of the details shown in Figure 4 but inoperatively positoned with respect to the 104 wheel, so that the drum cannot be advanced.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown only a preferred embodiment of the invention, the letter A may generally designate a knitting machine, such as shown in my co-pending application, Serial No. 558,798, filed August 22, 1931, which may include a frame B, cylinder '0, dial D, the usual operating mechanism E, a pattern control drum F and means G for controlling movement of the drum F.

Generally the machine has operating mechanism similar to the conventional Banner type of knitting machine, which is so well understood in the art that it will not be described in detail except insofar as the parts cooperate in actuating the means G and drum F.

The machine includes the usual bed 20 upon which the cylinder C is rotatably mounted. This cylinder is driven off a main shaft 21, shown in Figure 1, whereon are positioned the usual pulleys and gearing including a pinion 22 for driving a larger gear 23' conventionally known in the knitting art as the 104 gear, which is suitably mounted upon a shaft 24. The main drive shaft is also provided with the usual quadrant 25 for reciprocating the cylinder during the knitting of the heel and toe.

The pattern drum F and its operating mechanism G being the invention claimed herein, it is of no consequence what particular operations the cylinder and dial cams and parts which are actuated oil the drum 'F play in knitting the article to be produced upon the machine A. That is true because the drum actuating mechanism G may likewise be used for actuating knitting machines such as set forth in my co-pending applications Serial Nos. 586,635; 591,689; 619,779,

and 662;354. It will be well understood from an examination of the various knitting machines of these applications that a plurality of operating levers 80, in any desired number are employed. They may have a common pivot 81 upon the frame B, or they may be pivoted independently if desired. Their forward ends may be provided with connecting levers 82 for actuating jack and needle cams 83, as'shown in Figure 1, or their rear ends may be provided with connecting rods 84 for actuating other cams 85 or like parts. Indeed it is not necessary that the members actuated directly off the pattern drum F be pivoted, since slidable cam or lever actuating rods may be employed, such as set forth in my co-pending application Serial No. 591,689. These levers or members 80 are actuated either by depressions or lugs placed upon the pattern control drum F. The latter is rotatably mounted upon a suitable shaft bearing in part of the frame structure of the machine. This drum may be provided with suitable means (not shown in the drawings) for detachably connecting lugs and ribs of various heights and circumferential lengths thereon, in proper relation for the respective actuation of the members 80, as will be well understood by those skilled-in this art; These lugs are indicated in the drawings at 86. They are of course removable- 1 The drum F is provided with a ratchet wheel 96 consisting of sixty teeth, each of the same length.

Mechanism is provided for operating upon the teeth of the ratchet wheel 96 to produce a step by step advance of the drum F. This mechanism is actuated off the gear wheel 23. It is well known to those skilled in the art that this conventional 104 gear wheel .23 rotates one complete revolution for every four revolutions of the cylinder C. In the present machine it is intended that the drum F shall be advanced the length of two teeth for each revolution of the cylinder C. This is accomplished by providing upon the drum facing side of the gear wheel 23 four laterally extending pins 97, positioned sixty degrees apart. Only 180 of the gear wheel is provided with these pins 97. Each pin has a roller thereon to engage a pivoted lever 98 keyed upon a shaft 99. This shaft bears at 100 upon the rear of the machine, as shown in Figure 3. The pins 97 of course may be provided in any desired number depending upon the number of teeth it is desired that shall be actuated for advancing the drum F for each revolution of the wheel 23. It will be apparent from my various co-pending applications above mentioned that the drum F may be advanced for various distances, for each revolution of the gear wheel 23.

The shaft 99 is provided with a radially extending arm 101 keyed therewith, which intermediate its ends has a pawl 102 pivoted thereto. At its free end this pawl rests by gravity upon the teeth of the ratchet wheel 96. A spring 103 attached at one end to the frame of the machine and at the other end to the lever 101 normally urges the latter into such position that the arm 98 will be engaged by the pins 97 during rotation of the gear wheel 23. This will be apparent from Figure 4 of the drawings.

Movement of the pins 97 against the lever 98 will pivot the latter rearwardly and move the pawl 102 therewith. The pawl will engage a tooth of the ratchet wheel 96, as shown in Figure 4, and the drum F will be advanced the length of one tooth for each time that a lug or pin 97 engages against and moves the arm 98. Since in the specific example shown in Figures 4 and 5 the pins 97 are located apart the drum F will be advanced the length of two teeth for one revolution of the cylinder. This of course may vary as desired.

In order to prevent a continuous step by step advance of the drum F, after the cams have been put into proper operation, as may be necessary in the specific machine A when knitting plain or ribbed knitting, as set forth in my co-pending application Serial No. 558,798 above referred to, means is provided to hold the pawl actuating lever 98 out of the path of travel of the pins 97. This mechanism includes a bell crank detent lever 105 pivoted at 106 on the frame B, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. One end of the lever 105 has a surface 107 .for abutment with a surface 108 of the arm 101 in order to hold the lever 98 out of the path of travel .of the lugs 97, as shown in Figure 5. In this position the spring 103 will be tensioned and normally tend to draw the lever 98 back into the path of travel of the pins 97. The bell crank lever at its opposite end has a. connecting rod 110 pivoted at 111 the opposite end being angled downwardly and pivoted at 112 with the lower end of an arm 113. The latter is keyed on a shaft 114. This shaft 114 rotatably bears at 115 on the frame of the machine at the front thereof, as shown in Figure 2.

The usual pattern chain 116 of the knitting machine has a trip lug 117, shown in Figures 4 and 5, adapted to operate against an arm 118 which is connected to a shaft 119, as shown in Figure 2. A leaf spring 120, shown in Figures 4 and 5, normally urges the arm 118 against the pattern chain so that the lug 117 may actuate it. The shaft 114 has an arm 121 keyed therewith normally engaging against the arm 118. A spring 123 secured to the frame of the machine and connecting rod 110 is under tension to normally urge the bell crank lever 105 into the position shown in Figure 5. It likewise urges the lever arm 121 against the arm 118.

To hold the detent bell crank lever 105 inoperative, as well as its associated mechanism, a bell crank lever 125 is pivoted at 126 on the frame of the machine. One end of the lever 125 is in position to be engaged by pins or lugs 130 which are positioned in predetermined relation upon the pattern control drum F. The other arm portion of this bell crank lever 125 is notched at 131 and 132 in stepped relation. These notches are adapted to receive a pin 133 which is rigid upon a side of the bell crank detent lever 105.

As shown in Figure 4 of the drawings, during step by step advance of the drum F the bell crank lever 125 is lowered at its end so as to engage the drum periphery. In this position the notch 131 receives the pin 133 in order to hold the bell crank lever 105 out of restraining relation with respect to the arm 101. In this position of parts the lug 117 will readily pass the arm 118 without operating against it. In order to trip the arm 98 and throw it out of operating relation with the lugs 97 to prevent an advance of the drum F, it is necessary to provide a lug 130 at a predetermined point on the drum F, so that it will ride against the concave face of the bell crank lever 125 in order to rock it into the position shown in Figure 5. As the lever 125 is rocked into this position the bell crank lever 105 will be urged by the spring 123 into the position shown in Figure 5, abutting the end 107 against the surface 108 of the arm .101 and thus positioning the shaft 99 so that the arm 98 will be held out of the path of travel of the lugs 97. In this position the pin 133 on the lever 105 holds the bell crank lever 125 out of the path of travel of the lug 130 upon the drum F. The detent lever 105 is tripped from this position by means of the lug 117 on the pattern 116, as will be quite apparent from Figure 5. When this is done the pin 133 will engage in the lower notch 131 of the bell crank lever 125 and hold the lever 105 inoperative, in the position shown in Figure 4, so that the step by step advance of the drum F may continue until another pin 130 on the drum F again trips the detent lever 125.

So long as the drum F is rotating the various .levers 80 will be actuated in order to operate in proper sequence the cams and moving parts of the knitting machine which it is intended that they shall operate. Of course during certain operations of the machine the pattern drum F should remain inoperative, and the pin 130 at the predetermined point in the knitting of an article upon the machine will elevate the bell crank lever 125 as above described to prevent rotation of the drum F. At the proper time the pattern chain 116 will, through its lug 117, trip the bell crank lever 105 to resume step by step advance of the pattern control drum F.

The pattern chain 116 is of course driven in conventional manner, as for instance in the Banner knitting machine, usually a step by step advance in order to regulate the desired knitting operations.

Various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be made to the form of scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a knitting machine the combination of a frame, a rotary cylinder, means for driving the rotary cylinder, a rotating member associated with the last mentioned means and driven thereby including a series of spaced parts thereon, a

pattern control drum having a ratchet wheel affixed therewith, pawl means mounted on the frame between the ratchet wheel and the spaced parts above mentioned for operation by said spaced parts to actuate the ratchet wheel and the drum therewith in a step by step rotation, means normally tending to render the pawl inactive, a detent for holding the last mentioned means inoperative, means on the drum for tripping the 'detent to permit the means which holds the pawl inoperative to come into operation, and pattern controlled means for tripping the means for holding the pawl inoperative so that the detent may come into position for so holding it inoperative.

2. In pattern controlling mechanism for knitting machines and the like the combination of a pattern control device, means for intermittently advancing the pattern control device, detent means to hold the last mentioned means normally inoperative, meansto trip the detent means at a predetermined operation of the machine, other means to hold said detent means inoperative,-

and means for tripping the last mentioned means at a predetermined operation of the pattern control device.

3. In pattern controlling mechanism for knitting machines the combination of a pattern control device, means for intermittently advancing said device, detent means for holding the last mentioned means inoperative, a second detent acting on the first mentioned detent to hold said first mentioned detent inoperative, means movable With said device to trip the second detent,

means normally urging the first detent into position for holding the means which advances said device inoperative for such advancement, and pattern means for tripping said first mentioned detent at a predetermined operation of the machine.

4. In pattern controlling mechanism for knitting machines and the like the combination of a rotary pattern drum, means operated off the knitting machine for advancing said drum, detent means normally urged into position for holding the advancing means inoperative, a second detent for holding the first detent normally inoperative, means on the pattern drum for tripping said second detent, and other means for tripping the first mentioned detent to an inoperative position.

5. In pattern controlling mechanism for knitting machines and the likethe combination of a rotary pattern drum, means operated off the knitting machine for advancing said drum, detent means normally urged into position for holding the advancing means inoperative, a second detent for holding the first detent normally inoperative, means on the pattern drum for tripping said second detent, other means for tripping the first mentioned detent to an inoperative position, said first mentioned detent having means thereonfor holding the second mentioned detent inoperative when the first mentioned detent holds said advancing means inoperative.

6. In pattern controlling mechanism for knitting machines the combination of a rotary controlling device for actuating one or more parts of the knitting machine, a ratchet wheel connected with said rotary device, a pawl, means mounting the pawl upon the knitting machine for reciprocatory movement in order to advance said ratchet wheel, means associated with said knitting machine for operating said pawl mounting means in order to advance said pawl, a detent movably mounted upon the knitting machine, means normally actuating said detent into position to hold the pawl mounting means inoperative with respect to its operating means, and pattern controlling means for tripping said detent means.

7. In pattern controlling mechanism for knitting machines the combination of a rotary controlling device for actuating one or more parts of the knitting machine, a ratchet Wheel connected with said rotary device, a pawl, means mounting the pawl upon the knitting machine for reciprocatory movement in order to advance said ratchet wheel, means associated with said knitting machine for operating said means in order to advance said pawl, a detent movably mounted upon the knitting machine, means normally actuating said detent into position to hold the pawl and its mounting means inoperative, pattern controlling means for tripping said detent means to an inoperative position, a second detent movably mounted upon the knitting machine normally activated into position for hold- 1 ing the first mentioned detent inoperative, and selective means on the controlling device for tripping said last mentioned detent to release the first mentioned detent.

8. In pattern controlling mechanism for knitting machines the combination of a frame supporting-a needle set and operating mechanism therefor, a rotary drum having selective means thereon for actuating one or more parts of the knitting machine, a ratchet wheel connected with said drum, a lever pivoted upon the frame intermittently actuated by the operating means of the knitting machine, a pawl pivoted upon said lever and reciprocable upon actuation of the lever to advance said ratchet wheel and the drum therewith, a detent pivoted upon the frame, means normally urging said detent into position for holding said lever and the pawl thereof inoperative and out of the path of its operating means of the machine, and a pattern controlling device for tripping said detent.

9. In pattern controlling mechanism for knitting machines the combination of a frame supporting a needle set and operating mechanism therefor, a rotary drum having selective means thereon for actuating one or more parts of the knitting machine, a ratchet wheel connected with said drum, a lever pivoted upon the frame intermittently actuated by the operating means of the knitting machine, a pawl pivoted upon said lever and reciprocable upon actuation of the lever to advance said ratchet wheel and the drum therewith, a detent pivoted upon the frame, means normally urging said detent into position for holding said lever and the pawl thereof inoperative with respect to advancement of the ratchet wheel, a pattern controlling device for mentioned detent inoperative when the first mentioned detent is holding said pawl inactive.

10. In a pattern controlling mechanism for knitting machines the combination of a rotary device having means for actuating one or more parts of a knitting machine, advancing means for intermittent advance of said device, a detent normally holding said advancing means inactive, a second detent for holding the first mentioned detent inoperative so that the advancing means may move to advance said rotary device, means for tripping the second mentioned detent to permit the first mentioned detent to move into holding position with respect to the advancing means, means associated with the first mentioned detent to hold the second mentioned detent inoperative with respect to its tripping means when the first mentioned detent is in positionfor holding the advancing means inactive, and pattern controlling means for tripping the first mentioned detent into inoperatively restrained position by said second mentioned detent.

11. In pattern controlling mechanism for knitting machines and the like the combination of a rotary pattern drum, means operated off the knitting machine for advancing said drum, detent means normally urged into position for holding the advancing means inoperative, pattern means for tripping said detent means from an operative to an inoperative relation with said advancing means, a second detent normally movable to automatically hold said first mentioned detent means inoperative when it is moved from an operative to an inoperative position with respect to said advancing means, and pattern means for tripping said second mentioned detent.

12. In pattern controlling mechanism for knitting machines and the like the combination of a pattern control device, actuating means for operatively moving said device, detent means normally urged to maintain said actuating means inoperative, pattern means to move said detent means from an-operative to an inoperative position with respect to said actuating means, and pattern controlled means normally in position to automatically maintain said detent means in an inoperative position with respect to said actuating means as soon as said detent means is urged into said inoperative position by the first mentioned pattern means.

13. In pattern controlling mechanism for knitting machines and the like the combination of a pattern control device, means for operatively moving said device, detent means to maintain said moving means inoperative, pattern means to actuate said detent means from an operative to an inoperative position with respect to said moving means, and pattern controlled means to maintain said detent means in an inoperative position with respect to said moving means.

HARRY MCADAMS. 

